The Atlanta Hawks came into this season with fresh energy and a front office makeover, led by new GM Onsi Saleh. On paper, the offseason was a win.
But as we near the halfway mark, the results aren’t matching the promise. After a four-game skid - including three losses to teams near the bottom of the Eastern Conference - the Hawks find themselves back below .500 for the first time since early November.
And once again, they’re staring down the possibility of another trip to the play-in tournament.
Injuries and illness haven’t helped. Right now, Atlanta has just one healthy center available - and he’s 6'8".
Kristaps Porzingis is sidelined with an illness, while third-string big man N’Faly Dante is out long-term with a torn ACL. That leaves the Hawks painfully thin in the paint, both in terms of size and depth.
But the most puzzling part of Atlanta’s season? Their home-court woes.
Most NBA teams win about 55% of their home games - a natural edge that comes with familiar rims, friendly fans, and no travel. The Hawks, though, are living in basketball’s version of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
They’re winning 59% of their games on the road - a solid mark that suggests resilience and focus in tough environments. But at home?
They’ve only won 36% of their games inside State Farm Arena.
That’s not just unusual - it’s historic outlier territory.
Atlanta has lost five of its last six games at home. The lone bright spot this month was a narrow win over the Sixers on December 14.
Beyond that, the home crowd hasn’t had much to cheer about. And when you zoom out across the league, the numbers only get more concerning.
The Hawks are one of just five teams in the East with a losing record at home - joining Washington, Indiana, Brooklyn, and Charlotte. But here’s the kicker: they’re the only team in the entire NBA with a winning record on the road and a losing record at home. That’s a statistical unicorn - and not in a good way.
So what’s going on?
One factor worth noting is the quality of competition. While seven of Atlanta’s 17 road games so far have come against teams below .500, only four of their home games have been against sub-.500 opponents.
In other words, the Hawks have had to face a tougher slate at home than on the road. That’s not an excuse, but it does offer some context.
The good news? That imbalance won’t last forever.
The Hawks still have plenty of home games left against struggling teams - the kind of matchups that typically help a team build momentum and confidence. And when you look at the schedule ahead, things start to look a bit more favorable.
According to strength of schedule metrics, Atlanta has the eighth-easiest remaining schedule in the league. Combine that with the likelihood of a more balanced home-road split in terms of opponent quality, and there’s a real opportunity for the Hawks to right the ship - especially at home.
Of course, the front office will also need to address the team’s glaring lack of size. With Porzingis out and Dante done for the year, Atlanta simply doesn’t have the interior presence to compete with the league’s bigger, more physical frontcourts. If they can make a move before the trade deadline to shore up that rotation, the second half of the season could look very different.
For now, though, the Hawks are in a familiar spot: talented, inconsistent, and hovering around the play-in line. But with a softer schedule ahead and the potential for roster reinforcements, there’s still time to flip the narrative - especially if they can finally turn State Farm Arena into a true home-court advantage.